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Europe urges Russia election probe Mark John and David Brunnstrom Europe joined the United States on Monday in demanding Russia investigate alleged abuses in an election won overwhelmingly by President Vladimir Putin's party, and Germany denounced the poll as undemocratic. European states expressed alarm over the outcome of Sunday's parliamentary poll after rights watchdogs said the campaign had been marred by biased media coverage and abuse of government resources in favor of Putin's United Russia. But analysts said many European states now acknowledged that Moscow, whose cooperation the West wants over disputes from Iran to Kosovo, was increasingly impervious to outside criticism.
(Article continues below) With almost all votes counted in the State Duma (lower house) election, Putin's United Russia had won 64.1 percent of votes -- nearly six times as many as his nearest rival. "It is vital that the Russian Central Election Commission urgently investigates all allegations of electoral abuses," Britain's foreign ministry said, echoing a similar call from Washington on Sunday. It expressed disappointment that the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe had not been able to observe the election. The OSCE cancelled plans to monitor the poll after a row with Moscow over delays in issuing visas.
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